Friday, November 11, 2005

The President and Polls - He does not believe in them

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Maybe I wouldn't either if I had a direct line to God. But what about Karl Rove ? From what is known about him, Mr. Rove does believe in them. In fact he is a master in spinning the media. Opinions expressed in the polls, like it or not, reflect what people read, hear and see in the media. Kidding aside, the president might not admit it in public but he follows the polls; he cannot escape them.

The president gave a Veterans' Day speech (actually he never gives a speech, he reads a teleprompter) at Tobyhanna,PA. and ".....accused critics Friday of trying to rewrite history and charged that they're undercutting America's forces on the front lines." The same old refrain, raise the spectre of terrorism. One could detect a note of desperation creeping in. It is doubtful that it would have much of an impact. The president and vice president are losing the trust of Americans. What are things coming to !

Most Americans Say Bush Not Honest

That is the headline of an Associated Press report in Yahoo.com An AP-Ipsos poll last week asked people to state in their own words why they approve or disapprove of the way Bush was doing his job. Almost six in 10 disapproved, and they most frequently mentioned the war in Iraq — far ahead of the second issue, the economy.

While the CIA leak investigation, the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina and high energy costs have all taken their toll, the polling found the Iraq war at the core of Americans' displeasure with the president.

Almost six in 10 now say Bush is not honest, and a similar number say his administration does not have high ethical standards.

"To use an unfortunate metaphor, Iraq is a roadside bomb in American politics," said Rich Bond, a former national Republican chairman.

"Many of those who approve of Bush's job performance pointed to his Christian beliefs and strong values, the second biggest reason given for supporting him — after agreeing with his policies."

"I know he is a man of integrity and strong faith," said Fran Blaney, a Republican and an evangelical who lives near Hartford, Conn. "I've read that he prays every morning asking for God's guidance. He certainly is trying to do what he thinks he is supposed to do."

From Ron Fournier's report in the Washington Post :WASHINGTON -- President Bush seems to be turning the clock back to Election Day 2004, parrying with ex-rival John Kerry and harshly questioning his critics' commitment to U.S. troops.